Summer is Here!

Hello!
I am so excited! My 2017-2018 school year is over! I closed up my classroom, and summer has begun! Let's not mention that summer school begins in a 12 days, but I have time to get inky!
As I mentioned recently that I purchased a REALLY nice camera, and I have been playing with the setting on it. I have to go back and redo some recent cards that I completed, but had snapped with my cruddy camera. Take a look:

I love the wildflowers from Tim Holtz, and I am just starting to play with the distress Oxide inks. I was going for a more MASCULINE look for birthday wishes. I don't like giving the men in my life pretty frilly girly cards. I do struggle with more man-ly colors! I never have been able to embrace the browns in my stash, but I like it with orange! (left card) I need to do some more exploring!

I noticed not many cardmakers use fibers, or twine on their cards. I LOVE them! So much easier than reaching for sequins and dots sometimes. Just my two cents. NO challenges today. I need to get inky!
See you again soon!

Inspiration from Nicole Spohr

Hello, and welcome back!
I stumbled across a set of cards that took my breath away a few weeks back. I absolutely had to try the same technique and make some similar cards. The problem was I didn't own all the needed items for it.

So little by little I have been either creating the needed items, or buying them on my budget. Here are the cards that had me so inspired.  Click here for the blog post by Nicole Spohr. Here is a image from her blog.

Aren't they beautiful? Here is my take on them.

I am very pleased with my versions. I needed birthday cards, not thank you cards, To be honest, I do not own many floral stamp sets. I had to make due with one random Stampin' up! flower, and leaves from a layering Altenew set I have yet to figure out. (too many layers, and not enough similar inks).

 I entered the blue one into a few challenges:

• Avenue 613 card challenges - Mainly Blue
• Happy Little Stampers - Anything with Dies
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Use more than one stamp

Thank you for stopping by, I would love a comment, it would make my day!

Wreath Builder Cards

Welcome Back,

I am sharing another set of cards with you today. I was inspired by a new template that was introduced to the card making community that allows you to create wreaths using your MISTI. I really loved the idea, and decided to not only use it with flowers, but words as well.

Here are three of the cards I made using the template. The template is pretty simple. It is called the"Gina K Designs Wreath Builder Magic Stamp Set". Just click on the link to learn more information. 

I did not purchase the set, I created the wreath builder template using my cricut machine. I even made one a bit bigger and one a bit smaller just for some fun. I tried to share my project on Cricut design space, but it only share it on facebook or pinterest. Click here for the pinterest link. If you are unable to access it, write me a comment below, and I can send it to you!

Using the same eight colors, I created three cards using different stamps. I had so much fun doing these. I love the look of square cards, and they make great gift sets. I can create square envelopes to go with them too.

Below is another way to use the wreath builder template using words. Again, I used the same eight colors and the look is very cute!

New Camera Time!

Hello Again, Welcome back,

As I mentioned in my last post, I am totally excited to post pictures taken with my new Sony camera. Now, mind you, I have literally tried one setting, and I haven't even read all the directions yet. This camera has LOTS of functions and a bunch of settings. I have to play around to see what this camera can really do. I also learned that my husband has a online cloud account with photoshop. I have to learn all the cool things that program can do yet. Between and awesome camera, and powerful software, by pictures are going to be worlds better then before!  :)

Lets take a look at the first few photos to see what this camera can do! (YAY!)

So, I am in love! The colors just pop! I have so much more I can adjust on the camera, but right out of the box, I am very pleased! Ok, enough about the camera, let's get to the cards!

For the look of the background, I heat embossed the french script from SU onto white watercolor paper with white embossing powder. I used the SMOOSH technique (I am totally serious - that is the name of the technique) with distress inks and let them dry.

The florals are from Tim Holtz die cuts. (I am so in love with those matching stamps and dies) I have to buy all the rest of them soon. I believe he has three sets now! :)

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The sentiment was stamped on black cardstock, and I wanted to make it look like it was part of the entire black strip of cardstock. The top one one is just black cardstock, and the right one has a piece of thick vellum behind it. I achieved that look using two different methods. In the top example, I cut the sentiment out with scissors, and adhered it to the strip. the bottom example I stamped directly onto the strip itself and mounted it with vellum. 

Thank you so much for dropping in. I have so much more coming! I am off to play with my new camera!

New Orleans and a new purchase!

Hello again,
The end of the school year is so tough on everyone. Between state and local exams, proctoring, covering for other proctors, and the ever-changing daily schedule, I have been crazy busy. the first thing to get push to the back burner is my passion - crafting.

Now that all that madness is over, and things have slowed down, I have news! My brother got married, and did a destination wedding in New Orleans! In the middle of all the sight-seeing, I purchased a VERY nice camera! It's a Sony DSC-wx350. I am so excited. I struggle so much with card staging, and the crappy quality of my pictures did not motivate me to keep posting. I drool over other people's blog pictures and wonder "how come I can't get pictures like that?" Now, I think I can!

I need to go back and redo my last set of photos with my new camera and get them up.I think I will be more excited to craft if I know that the pictures will come out better.  Also, with summer coming, I should have tons more time to get inky! Thanks for listening to me rant. See you soon!